Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (70 page)

laughter.“What else have youheard?”I asked.

“You are a heretic, an atheist,
and
an idolater. You killed a priest. Youkilled Doucette. Gastonis possessed. Gaston is raving mad. Gaston was never a lord. Gaston has two wives. You were fucking every woman in that house. You are dead. The stories go on.”

“Who have youheard this from?”I asked.
“Everyone inCayonne,”he said witha shrug. “And everyone onyour ship?”
He nodded emphatically and gave a moue of incredulity

—presumablyas to the stupidityofhis men.

 

“Wellthen, let me tellyou ofit.”And so I did, leaving no

 

details out, including many of those associated with my

details out, including many of those associated with my incarceration. I even told him of worshipping the Gods. Gaston often left the fire to circle behind our little camp and ensure no one listened. Peirrot laughed and cried at my tale, and we finished the bottle. I fetched another and told him of what we faced withMorgan.

He became quite somber. “My friends, I willdo anything I can to aid you. I wish you had been able to stay in Cayonne another two weeks. If we had met then, you would be in England now—onyour terms. But now, I amsorry; I have a ship full of men who will not wish to sail to England—even if you could pay them all in coin—and I will never sail from Cayonne againifI abandonthemhere to rove onEnglishvessels.”

“Well, we have been afraid that would be your answer,” I said sadly. “We came here in hopes it would not; but, as we saw men collect here, and after speaking to Morgan… we understand. These men are hungry for violence as much as coin. And all fear the wrath of their peers—and Morgan, who they stupidlyrevere.”

“Would we be welcome to sail with you?” Gaston asked.
Peirrot cursed quietly and shook his head with great sadness. “My dear friend, I would not dare bring you aboard for fear of your safety. We will have to wage another war of gossip and lies in order to impart any semblance of the truth. And then there is that matter of you actually worshipping Pagan gods…” He laughed. “We willnot tellthemofthat.”
I laughed. “Are so manyofthemtrulygood Catholics?”

Behind my good cheer, I silently cursed my stupidity in

Behind my good cheer, I silently cursed my stupidity in not accounting for the passage of time and the amount of festering gossip that could occur with sailors. I looked to Gaston and found himresigned.

“Enough of them are: the rest are merely superstitious,” Peirrot said seriously, and then chuckled only to sober again. “Do youhave another wayoffthis island?”

“The captain we came here with is willing to help us, but he cannot out-sailMorgan’s sloops,”I said.
“I have a longboat that can be fitted with a sail,” he said. “It should not be much smaller than that dinghy you navigated around Hispaniola with.” He laughed. “You could sail due north, you cannot miss the southwestern peninsula, and then around it to the east and into the great bay. Somewhere in there you could find a bigger boat to steal and then head north to the English colonies—withcharts.”He laughed again.
It was a thing we had discussed on occasion with Cudro and Pete this last month. I nodded. “Thank you for that kind offer. We may yet avail you of it, but I fear falling into French hands more than I do the Spaniards at this juncture. They will just killus. Theywillnot be moved to burnus alive.”
“They will likely torture you first,” Peirrot said with a shrug. “Bothofthem. Your father too, bythe sound ofit.”
I sighed and collapsed to lie back on the sand. “I wish there was another option.”
“Sail to a Dutch colony—but that will require a larger craft—and better charts,”Peirrot said affably.
I chuckled. “It will be to no avail. I will somehow bring

Dutchwrathdownuponus.”

 

Dutchwrathdownuponus.”

Gaston laughed. “I cannot take you anywhere.” Then he turned to Peirrot. “What about after we raid? Can we escape withyouifyouhave time to seed truthwithyour men?”

“If it comes to that, we can but try,” Peirrot said. “I will hide youina barrelifnecessary.”
I thought of having to hide throughout a voyage to England… And supposed it would be better than being tortured —bya verysmallmargin.
“Let us discuss the boat withCudro and Pete,”I said.
He stood and we embraced in parting. We watched him walk away, threading his way through the fires dotting the beach. A figure detached from one circle of camaraderie and hailed Peirrot. I could see a plumed hat clearly in silhouette, and assumed the figure to be Morgan. Peirrot stopped and the two talked. Then our jolly friend’s usual slouch tightened to the stance of a man prepared to fight. I cursed. Finally Peirrot walked away. The figure turned and beganto approachus.
“I wonder how easy he would be to kill?” Gaston whispered.
“Easy. The difficult piece will be escaping the island— muchlike myfather.”
Morgan reached us and doffed his hat in greeting. “Well, your Frenchhave arrived.”
“Aye,” I said noncommittally. He stooped to reach for the bottle of brandy and I plucked it up and set it in our tent. “Youare bettingonthe wronghorse.”
He squashed the ire that flared in his gaze and pulled an affable grin across his taut features. “Whatever do you mean? affable grin across his taut features. “Whatever do you mean? From what I hear, if anyone has been betting, it is you, and you have bet on the wrong animal: the French will not take you anywhere.”
“Nay, they will not,” I agreed with surprisingly little rancor—evento me. “So it appears we willbe rovingthis year.”
“Aye, so it appears. Worry not, Will. We will get you to England yet whenthis is over, and we willallbe famous for it.”
“How is that? Do you really feel you will amass the men and ships for Havana or Cartegena?”
“Panama,” he said with a smile. “I promised their president, or governor, or whatever he was.”
“Well, if we can truly manage Panama, it will be a glorious thing. I willbe able to sayI have seenthe great Southern Sea before I die.”
He smiled. “There is roomfor you now on the
Lilly
; and if not there, now, there will be room on the
Satisfaction
once she returns.”
I shrugged. “Aye, if the vaunted pirate-hunter Collier does not put her ona reef. For now, this beachis fine; and as for later, we will see which ships actually return and choose our place then.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so angry with me,” he said coylywhile adjustingthe plume onhis hat. “I’ve not led your life or made your decisions. I didn’t make you sail here; and I’m sorry no one wishes to bow to your lordly desires and change the course oftheir lives to sailyouelsewhere.”
I snorted disparagingly. “Nay, nay, they will all sail to their deaths with you at the helm: which suits your common their deaths with you at the helm: which suits your common ambitions.”
He tensed at myjab and settled his hat back onhis head. “You know, once we sail, it would be better if you paid me proper respect as the fleet’s admiral.”
I laughed. “Or what, you will clap me irons and throw me in the hold? I suppose it will allow you to drink to abandon without worryingwhere I am.”
“Do not tempt me,”he said tightly.
“Or perhaps you will have me flogged. Would that suit you? I have been flogged. It will only make me angry. The last time I was flogged, it was at the behest of a man whose eyes I plucked out. That man was such a fool he thought that when I became the EarlofDorshire, I would thank himfor forcingme to change my ungodly ways. I told himI was his worst enemy if he did not kill me then and there, and I would never thank him, and then I blinded him. He is still blind, and I might still become Earl. And fools stillplace trust inmyfather.”
Morgan backed away hastily and wordlessly with fear in his eyes.
“Do not say that was unwise,” I implored my man without lookingat him.
“Oui, ohWolfman.”
I turned and found himgrinning. He shrugged. “I married

you.” “Oui, I suppose that makes you a bigger fool than I,” I

 

said warmly.

Another figure approached from the fires. This one I recognized fromthe set ofhis naked shoulders and his gait:Pete. “Where is your matelot?’ I asked whenhe neared. “OnShip, WhereItBeSafe,” he added quietly as he

dropped to sit withus. “What’dTheySay?”

I told him of both conversations while Gaston again looked for spies. Pete sipped brandy and lay in the sand with a thoughtfulmien.

“Aye, Peirrot’sBoat. WorthTheRisk.

WeBePrisoners’Ere.”
“We will speak to Cudro in the morning and have him
arrange it, and to get copies ofcharts.”
Pete grinned. “Chris’As’Em.
HeBeenCopyin’Donovan’s. FunnyTaWatch. DonovanYellin’
EnglishWordsTaMake ChrisUnderstand. ChrisJustNoddin’…” Gastonand I laughed.
“He does playthat well. How is he doing?”I asked. Pete smiled. “’EBeFine. WeBeFine.”The last was a little
bit wistful.
“But?”I asked.
“NawBut,” he sighed. “JustNa’AsItWereWithStriker.
IMiss’Im. YetI BeShamedTaAdmit ThisIsBetterInParts.” “How?”Gastonasked. “LessArguin’.
’E’Ave’IsOpinions,
WhatTaDoAllTheTime.
An’ThereBeMoreRumFerMe.” “Have you succeeded in gentling him down yet?” I
asked.
An’IBeTheManInAllThings. But’EAin’tTellin’Me An’’EWorriesLess.

Pete laughed. “Aye! An’ItBeNone O’YurConcern. ThoughIWillSayIBeen ItJustBeSittin’There, ButNowWouldBe Can’t’Ave’ImWithChild. Na’WithAllThisShite.”

Gaston and I exchanged a look and grinned at one

 

another.Pete rolled on his side and regarded my matelot.

“WouldThatBotherYa? OnceThisAllBeDone.” He shrugged. “Iffn’IWere TaMakeA BabyWithYerCousin.”
“She is not trulymy
cousin
,”Gastonsaid witha smile. Pete considered that. “SoICouldMarry’Im?” “If
she
willhave you,” Gaston said. “We must first insure
our daughter is safe with us, but that is the only reason I have
pretended she was mine.”
“Have youdiscussed this withChris?”I asked. He sighed. “Nay, NaYet. JustBeenThinkin’OnIt.” I dearlyhoped Chris would not disappoint himwhenthat
moment came. And… “It will not be the same as it is here when
we… Whenthings are finished.”
Pete nodded. “IKnow. MaybeThatBeGoodToo.
Settlin’DownAn’All. MyCock’llAlwaysWantAMan.
ThereBeADifferentSmellAn’Feel. Chris’ HipsBeFleshy
TaGrabAn’TheLike. ILikeMuscle:’ArdFlesh, But…
ICanLiveWithThis.”
“You might find you share Liam’s sentiments about
returning to men after a year,” I said. “Not to dissuade you,” I
added.
TemptedByTheSquishyHole. An’SomeNightsIStartWonderin’. ABadTimeTaBraveIt.

“IBeenThinkin’ThatToo. ITol’’ImIWould Na’QuitStriker. ’ESaid ’EUnderstood.” He shrugged. “’EMightNa KnowWhat’EBe Speakin’O’ Either.”

“You will know in time,” Gaston said wistfully. “I wish youhappiness.”
“ThankYa. ThatMeansALot.”
“Striker will become old and flabby someday,” I teased: the brandyand the aftermathofmyrage gettingthe best ofme.
“YaShutYerHole,” Pete snapped with a grin. “INaBeAFool, WhenEverything ICanLayMy’AndsOnBe AsSquishyAsAMango, ItBe Time TaMoveOn.”
“But, wait,” I said with a laugh. “What if you are as squishyas a mango?”
He laughed. “ThenIBeDead.”
I thought that likely, so I argued no more. Pete soon embraced us inpartingand we sat alone.
“Do youstillyearnfor the squishofmangoes—fromtime to time?”I asked.
Gaston smiled. “Non, and someday you will be fat and old and I willknow everydaywhat it feels like.”
I dove atop him and we tumbled in the sand and almost upset our tent. He was gettingstronger, but I easilypinned him— an inconceivable thing when we met. He strained to nip me as I delivered teasingkisses to his nose.
“We should take advantage of these woods and run a little if we are soon to be trapped on another small boat,” I

growled.Gaston sighed and the play left him. “We should have

 

brought our other boat.”

Disappointed, I released his wrists. He bucked his hips and easilyflipped me beneathhim. I laughed as he pinned me.
“Oui,”he said huskily.
And so we did.
In the morning, we found Cudro and informed him of how things stood. He agreed with taking Peirrot’s boat, and we sent him to arrange it: no one had made mention of the French hatinghim.
Pete and Chris came ashore that evening, and we sat about with Cudro and Ash and discussed what had been arranged with Peirrot and what we would need to gather for provisions. We decided to pay Peirrot twenty-five pounds for the boat, and Donovan fifty pounds for being willing to aid us at

all. As we talked, we were pleased to have Peirrot join us.

 

He made no mention of Chris—he did not even look askance at him—eventhoughI had told himofour ruse.

“Morgan is making threats,” Peirrot announced quietly. “He is claiming that any man who leaves here to do other than follow him into battle is a deserter; and he has said he will not condone anyone aiding a deserter. He vows to claim ships and ruinlives.”

I swore vehemently.
“Wellit is good Donovancould not help us,”Ashsaid. “Aye, but it appears he must sail, which is a thing he did

not wishto do,”I said.
“He willnot go ashore to raid,” Cudro said. “He has too
few men on the
Fortune
. He could claim them all as a skeleton crew. Morgan will have them ferry men to the raid and little

else.” “Well there is hope for him, then,” I said. “As for us, I

 

suppose we will bid you adieu quite soon, my friend,” I told

 

Peirrot.He chuckled. “Someday yet we may sail together. I

 

would like that. Until then, I will sleep better knowing you watch over him.”He looked to Gaston.

 

“Always,” I said solemnly. “And I thank you for watching over him once upon a time; else I would never have

 

met him.”Peirrot laughed. “Oui: they would have thrown him

 

overboard—or left him for the Spanish… Oui, you have quite improved him. He appears sane.”

 

“I amsane,” Gaston said with a small smile. “As sane as

I ever willbe.”
“Then I bid you adieu until we meet again,” Peirrot said
and stood.
We said our farewells and Gastonstood to walk withthe
French captain to the edge of our fire light and out of our
hearing. They stood and talked for a time. They embraced. And
thentheykissed—and not a friendlypeck uponthe cheek. Chris’ gasp voiced my surprise. Cudro’s jaw fell agape;
Ashfrowned; and Pete raised aneyebrow.
I stood and wandered toward the pair, who had stopped
kissing and parted to stand speaking quietly again. My proximity
was greeted by Peirrot’s boisterous laughter, and then he darted
to me to kiss me heartily on the lips and whisper, “You are a